Chapter 165. Escape Attempt

Aurora’s POV

I watch as the pendant’s light catches my eyes, the glow refracting off its surface, filling the dimly lit space with a strange, otherworldly shimmer. For the first time in what feels like an eternity, the pain that has been clawing at my insides like a relentless beast begins to ebb away.

The sharp, pounding ache dulls, the suffocating fog in my mind lifts, and suddenly—I can feel them. Caleb. Caroline. Their presence is no longer distant, no longer muddled by whatever force has been keeping me disconnected. A breath shudders from my lips, and before I can second-guess myself, I reach for Caleb through our bond.

*Caleb,* I whisper into the void, my mental voice tinged with desperation. *I need help. Caleb…please…*

There’s silence, just for a second—one agonizing second where doubt grips my throat like a vice. But then, his voice bursts through, raw with relief.

*Aurora! Oh God, I thought I lost you.* He exhales sharply, his emotions